Oak Openings eBook

“This is a duty on which a girl is not called
to reflect; she must feel, in a matter of conscience.”

The bee-hunter fairly sighed, and from a very resolute
he became a very irresolute sort of person. As
was natural to one in his situation, he let out the
secret current his thoughts had taken, in the remarks
which followed.

“I do not like the manner in which Peter and
Pigeonswing are now talking together,” he said.
“When an Injin is so earnest, there is generally
mischief brewing. Do you see Peter’s manner?”

“He seems to be telling the young warrior something
that makes both forget themselves. I never saw
two men who seem so completely to forget all the rest
of the world as them two savages! What can be
the meaning, Bourdon, of so much fierce earnestness?”

“I would give the world to know-possibly the
Chippewa may tell me. We understand each other
tolerably well, and, just as you spoke, he gave me
a secret sign that I have a right to think means confidence
and friendship. That savage is either a fast friend,
or a thorough villain.”

“Is it safe to trust any of them, Bourdon?
No—­no—­your best way will be
to go down the lakes, and get back to Detroit as soon
as you can. Not only your property, but your
life, is at risk.”

“Go, and leave you here, Margery—­here,
with a brother whose failing you know as well as I
do, and who may, at any moment, fall back into his
old ways! I should not be a man to do it!”

“But brother can get no liquor, now, for it
is all emptied. When himself for a few days,
Gershom is a good protector, as well as a good provider.
You must not judge brother too harshly, from what you
have seen of him, Bourdon.”

“I do not wish to judge him at all, Margery.
We all have our failin’s, and whiskey is his.
I dare say mine are quite as bad, in some other way.
It’s enough for me, Margery, that Gershom is
your brother, to cause me to try to think well of
him. We must not trust to there being no more
liquor among us; for, if that so’ger is altogether
without his rations, he’s the first so’ger
I ever met with who was!”

“But this corporal is a friend of the minister,
and ministers ought not to drink!”

“Ministers are like other men, as them that
live much among ’em will soon find out.
Hows’ever, if you will stay, Margery, there
is no more to be said. I must cache [Footnote:
A Western term, obviously derived from cacher, to
conceal. Cache is much used by the Western adventurers.]
my honey, and get the canoe ready to go up stream
again. Where you go, Margery, I go too, unless
you tell me that you do not wish my company.”

This was said quietly, but in the manner of one whose
mind was made up. Margery scarce knew how to
take it. That she was secretly delighted, cannot
be denied; while, at the same time, that she felt
a generous and lively concern for the fortunes of le
Bourdon, is quite as certain. As Gershom just
then called to her to lend her assistance in preparing
to embark, she had no leisure for expostulation, nor
do we know that she now seriously wished to divert
the bee-hunter from his purpose.